James Blunt in Concert - Back to Bedlam Tour

While James Blunt's breakthrough single "You're Beautiful" has proven to be an easy target for parody, analysis of the performer based on this one song is simplistic indeed. Live, James Blunt proves to be a fearless performer consistently pushing his music to the edge lending his songs a sense of primal urgency. He is a fascinating, unique performer likely to be around for some time.

Backed by a 4-piece band, James Blunt is the star of the show. There are occasional nods to those sharing the stage, but the spotlight remains squarely focused on the slightly scruffy, rumpled man in army green jacket at the front of the stage. With a wide range of facial expressions and emotion to spare, James Blunt holds your attention. He has messages to convey, and the tone is urgent even when his high tenor often ventures into romantic territory. With a background in military action, James Blunt knows that every moment he commands your focus is important.

With his album Back to Bedlam, James Blunt unveiled an idiosyncratic form of romantic pop ballad. Songs like "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover" wrap the listener in beautiful melody, but they also revel in the painful moments of an intended romance gone bad. This mixture of emotional pleasure and pain is riveting on stage. James Blunt at the piano pounding out the melody to "Goodbye My Lover" while singing the words in anguish skates on the edge of absurdity, but his awareness of when to come back down makes the song work in exhilarating fashion.

Although he is still polishing his stage presence, James Blunt is well worth seeing now. The two new songs, not included on Back to Bedlam, that were performed were solid and give every indication Blunt will be able to avoid the sophomore curse when he releases his next album. A cover of Supertramp's humorous "Breakfast In America" was well received, and "No Bravery," James Blunt's riveting song about his experiences as a solider in Kosovo, clearly had the intended impact.

James Blunt's North American tour comes to an end late in November, but if you have the opportunity, it is a show worth seeing. He will also clearly been on the radar as an artist to watch as he puts together a sequel to his Back to Bedlam debut.